Here, you can download
the plans in .dwg format for the fourth harp (the
Waldorf harp) for free. This page also
presents prices and details for Paper plans for three nylon strung harps (26, 30
and 36 Strings) a historic wire strung harp based on the Lamont, and
instructions for building a Bray harp based on plans available through the
Plans Sheet
– showing the size of the harp, length of the sound board and angles for
placing the base plate and cap
Detail sheets
- Showing the scantlings for shaping the sound board as well as the fasteners
that hold the neck, pillar, and sound box to each other
Full Sized Templates - for the Neck, Pillar, Knee block, string rib grommet spacing and
sound holes
Stringing schedule – Listing the lengths, gauges colors and compositions for each
of the strings
With the plans, access to
the Online Building Guide and
the suppliers list, you can build
any of these harps:
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The Raven 36 – $45
I have built about 20 of
these and the Raven is the most popular plan I sell. The Range descends two notes below the great
C to 43Hz. A. With 1,200 lbs of
tension, the frame and sound box need to be robustly stout.
30 String Abbott –
$40
I
met Craig Abbott at a local clan gathering and we resolved to build a nice harp
for his youngest daughter. As a father
of seven, he wanted something that could be built quickly and
economically. We were both delighted
with the result – a small, portable 30 string harp that delights the eyes
and ears.
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26 String Siochan based on the Clark Harp – $30
Siochan is Gaelic for “Peace”. This harp has been popular with folks that
want something they can carry easily for therapy work or Renaissance
fairs.
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Waldorf 22, Lap Harp
– Free
This design was developed
for a class of middle-schoolers at a
The Neck to pillar joint
is a simple butt joint, reinforced with a side patch. The 3mm birch ply soundboard can be tacked on
with bronze ring nails. Straightforward
solutions allow a rank beginner to make a robust instrument with minimum drama
and fuss.
You can download an Autocad
(DWG) file of the plans and the Building Notes (8 pages) I
originally developed for the school. If
you have trouble opening the files, I would be happy to E-mail you the .dwg file. Many
engineering firms, architects and print shops have CAD programs and large media
plotters. Savvy craftsmen have found
the proper inducements (do I smell fresh baked cookies?) to the appropriate
individual can score them a set of full-sized plots. If you insist on paper copies of the
building guide, plans, detail sheets templates and string band, I would be
happy to send them to you for $20.
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Lamont Style Wire Strung
– $30
This plan is based on
measurements and drawings in Robert Bruce Armstrong’s The Irish and Highland Harps. The plans do not include drawings for the
intricate zoological carvings used on the Lamont – you can consult the
book for that. It does give usable scantlings
for the thickness of the sound box sides and top. You will have to decide whether to carve the
box from a single slab of wood (the traditional approach) or whether to use a
plank construction. This harp has the
tight spacing of the ancient harps (32 strings spread over 13-1/8 inches),
which will require the player to use the nail technique to play.
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Building Guide for a
Renaissance Bray Harp – $25
32
strings, 51.5” tall, 17.75” Deep, 8” wide, 9 lbs
Warning
- The Bray harp has a very distinctive soound!
In 2005, I was contacted
by Holly Stockley, Veterinarian from
The building guide is
meant to be a companion to a set of plans that can be purchased from the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts. Their on-line
collections database has page on this harp that you can find by doing a google search on “Boston MFA 17.1785”. To get the plans, you will need to send $35
to Department of Musical Instruments,
The Building guide is 8
pages and includes the steps I used to build the sound box, neck and
pillar. It provides detailed instructions
and 10 diagrams describing how to fabricate the staples and bray pins used to
attach the strings to the sound board.
It lists three string sets (one in nylon, two in traditional gut) as
well as specifications and sources for hardware. The Building Guide does not pretend to
replicate the methods used by German Luthiers of the late 1600’s. It illustrates the approach I used to
efficiently build a working instrument using modern power tools and readily
available materials. The Bray building
guide does not provide full sized templates or plans for building the
harp. You will need to make templates
for these parts from the plans you purchased through the Boston MFA.
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To
order, simply send a check or money order to:
Rick
Kemper,
Silver
Spring MD 20901
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